Tom Cruise working on Flying Tigers, says no to Nicholson?

Remember the news from earlier this week that Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson were set to reunite for a comedy titled EL PRESIDENT? Yeah, that’s not happening. Turns out he was never attached to the project in the first place. But he is attached to another project that may or may not ever happen.

Cruise is set to produce and star in FLYING TIGERS, a story of the WWII volunteer air force of the same name. If the name sounds familiar it’s because John Woo is developing a film with the same premise and the same name. Each project is moving forward separately though Woo’s project looks like it might have an early lead with filming set to begin this spring.

Cruise’s project is currently getting a rewrite from Kirk Ellis (“John Adams”) who’s working off a previous script by Chris McQuarrie. It seems as if Cruise, who broke into A-list stardom playing a pilot in TOP GUN, has always wanted to play a fighter pilot and it’s possible TIGERS might be that role for him. Fox is currently developing the film with Cruise but the actor is notoriously fickle with what projects he’s looking to star in. A hot project on one day can be on the outs the next week (just reread that first paragraph for proof).

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 4 is currently filming in Prague and beyond that Cruise has yet to commit to his next film.